Aashirvaad Atta Contains Rubber Plastic: Fact Check

Story:

Aashirvaad Atta Contains Rubber Plastic Mix.

Other Versions

1. Aashirvaad atta found insides plastic atta

2. Rubber in Aashirvaad Atta

Fact Check:

Many videos in circulation online purport to show that Aashirvaad Atta Contains Rubber Plastic material harmful to health. Aashirvaad Atta is a reputed brand of flour in India. After seeing them, some people even went on to demonstrate same. Therefore, let us check whether the plastic or rubber mix in Aashirvaad atta true or false.

Aashirvaad Atta Contains Rubber Plastic

About the Videos

In first of the videos that surfaced online in late November 2017, a reporter showed couple of people who found ‘rubber or plastic’ material mixed in the Aashirvaad atta. They make dough from the packed flour of Aashirvaad atta, take a lump of it and keep washing it in water. After few minutes, the entire flour washes away, and the people claim to show some left-over rubber or plastic material. People expressed concerns the sticky rubber/plastic material can cause Cancer and other diseases in stomach that can lead to death. They also show that the local original wheat flour dissolves in water completely – without any left-over rubber kind of material. The videos in fact scared many people in India. Some even questioned why the Government and Food Corporation is not concerned about the adulteration of Aashirvaad atta.

Aashirvaad Atta Contains Rubber Plastic Material?

The video allegations and demonstration of adulteration in Aashirvaad atta appeared genuine. However, what is shown as sticky rubber or plastic content is in fact a natural Protein called Gluten found in Wheat and related grains. In ABP Hindi news report below, Director of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Dr. Vinod Prabhu explains that when dough is made from flour, Polymerization binds the dough and the protein content leads to elasticity. As a matter of fact, Gluten is insoluble in water. Because of its elasticity, it is also used in making chewing gum. Food expert Ashok Kanchan also expressed same views on the allegations, clarifying there’s no rubber plastic mix in Aashirvaad atta. So, the claim that Aashirvaad atta contains rubber plastic material harmful for human consumption is a hoax.

Not just ITC, the makers of Aashirvaad atta, many other companies also use Gluten protein in wheat flour and it is safe for human consumption. As a matter of fact, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India makes it compulsory that wheat flour should contain Gluten. Notably, after the videos went viral online and consumers got scared, ITC also put up a notification on their official website homepage clarifying there is no plastic in Aashirvaad atta.